Ilex verticillata (L.) A. Gray Ilex bronxensis Britton Ilex fastigiata E.P. Bicknell Ilex verticillata (L.) A. Gray var. cyclophylla B.L. Rob. Ilex verticillata (L.) A. Gray var. fastigiata (E.P. Bicknell) Fernald Ilex verticillata (L.) A. Gray var. padifolia (Willd.) Torr. & A. Gray ex S. Watson Ilex verticillata (L.) A. Gray var. tenuifolia (Torr.) S. Watson Winterberry, common winterberry
We live next to a beaver pond. Winterberry, a variety of holly, is widespread around the pond’s perimeter. While most holly varieties are evergreens, winterberries lose their leaves in the winter, leaving stunningly bright berries behind, berries that attract birds and persist for much of the winter. This woody shrub is present in much of the eastern half of the United States, even as far south as Florida, and in southeastern Canada. Here in Massachusetts I have seen it reach heights of 7' (2.1 m) or so, but some varieties are up to 15' (4.6 m) in height. Identification: Winterberry is a hardy, multiple-stemmed shrub 6-10' (1.8-3 m) tall and generally oval in shape, with gray branches with large white patches. Leaves are 1½-3" (3.8-7.6 cm) × ¾-1¼" (1.9-3.2 cm), elliptical in shape, with slight serrations. Small white ⅛" (5 mm) flowers have five to eight petals. Round bright red fruits, ¼" (6.3 mm) in diameter, persist through much of the winter. The fruits form in clusters or whorls around the stems. Winterberries prefer wetlands. The cultivar ‘Red Sprite’ has larger, somewhat more plentiful berries, and is here growing in well-drained soil rather than its preferred acidic wet soils. There are many other cultivars available. Online References:
Ilex verticillata on www.carolinanature.com Ilex verticillata at the University of Connecticut Plant Database Ilex verticillata on Wikipedia Ilex verticillata at the Ohio State University PLANTFacts database Ilex verticillata at the University of Connecticut Plant Database Ilex verticillata at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Ilex verticillata on Plants for a Future, a resource and information centre for edible and otherwise useful plants 9/15/2016 · Cadillac Mountain Summit, Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor, Maine 11/19/2020 · Schiller Coastal Studies Center, Orrs Island, Maine 8/30/2010 · Old RR bed near Wilkins Farm, Pepperell, Massachusetts 9/20/2009 · Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor, Maine 9/20/2009 · Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor, Maine 9/28/2013 · Cadillac Mountain, Acadia Naitonal Park, Bar Harbor, Maine 8/30/2010 · Old RR bed near Wilkins Farm, Pepperell, Massachusetts 9/25/2009 · Nashua River Rail Trail, near Hospital, Ayer, Massachusetts 10/6/2011 · Pack Monadnock, 2200', Peterborough, New Hampshire 8/30/2010 · Old RR bed near Wilkins Farm, Pepperell, Massachusetts Ilex verticillata description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 25 May 2020. © FloraFinder.org. All rights reserved. |
9/25/2009 · Nashua River Rail Trail, near Hospital, Ayer, Massachusetts 9/20/2009 · Wild Gardens of Acadia, Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor, Maine 12/22/2011 · Groton Place and Sabine Woods, Groton, Massachusetts 6/20/2016 · Wildlife Pond Trail, Beaver Brook Conservation Area, Hollis, New Hampshire 9/20/2009 · Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor, Maine 9/25/2009 · Nashua River Rail Trail, near Hospital, Ayer, Massachusetts 10/23/2009 · Tom and Susan’s, Pepperell, Massachusetts 9/20/2009 · Wild Gardens of Acadia, Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor, Maine 8/27/2010 · Beaver Brook Association Conservation Lands, Rte. 130, Hollis, New Hampshire 9/11/2013 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton Center, Groton, Massachusetts 6/22/2017 · Garden in the Woods, Framingham, Massachusetts 6/22/2017 · Garden in the Woods, Framingham, Massachusetts 9/15/2010 · Red Dot Trail, Long Lake Park, Littleton, Massachusetts 11/19/2020 · Schiller Coastal Studies Center, Orrs Island, Maine 9/29/2013 · North Bubble Hike, Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor, Maine 6/20/2016 · Wildlife Pond Trail, Beaver Brook Conservation Area, Hollis, New Hampshire Range:
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